Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to processes implemented by a company to handle its interactions with its contacts (e.g., customers). Generally, information can be accessed and entered into a CRM system by employees of the company. An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of corporate recruitment needs. If hosted and accessed over the Internet, these systems may be known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). As used herein, the terms “CRM,” “ATS,” “tracking application,” and “tracking system” refer to any of these types of systems.
The business value of a tracking system is to enable a firm to improve its client interactions. This is done by collecting customer data and analyzing and measuring the data to understand customer needs and improve satisfaction, which leads to increased sales/placement opportunities. To effectively use the tracking system, all contact details, such as, for example, a contact's name, email, phone number, address, and other metadata about the contact is stored in the tracking system. When a user needs to call or send a message to a particular contact, the user typically looks up the contact's information in the tracking system. By using the tracking system as the organization's system of record, anyone needing to communicate with a contact can be assured that the information is the most up-to-date and accurate information. When the data changes (and is updated in the tracking system), such as, for example, a user's email address, phone number, or address, the next time any user with entitlement (e.g., permission) views the contact, that user will have the most accurate information. This ensures timely interactions with the organization's contacts to maximize business opportunities.